GLOCESTER, R.I. — To the dismay of his neighbors on Webster Lake, Webster Ventures owner Christopher Robert was ever so close Monday to delivering on his promise to bring his 75-foot, 59-ton paddle wheel boat to Indian Ranch, his campground and concert venue on Gore Road.

The Indian Princess' planned arrival at the lake was 1 a.m. Tuesday.

It had been kept in Barrington, R.I., since May 2013.

But on Monday, just days after a state official during a hearing about docking accommodations said his agency did not have the jurisdiction to stop the boat from going in the water, Mr. Robert wasted little time bringing it here.

It was in the parking lot of Snow's Clam Box on Route 44 on the Rhode Island-Connecticut line Monday afternoon.

Concerned Citizens for Webster Lake, which says the boat is too large for the lake, met at a regular board meeting Monday night.

Kenneth Vacovec, the group's president, said: "None of us understands why he has brought the boat to Webster now, where it will go or what he plans to do with it when it arrives."

According to Mr. Vacovec, Mr. Robert had indicated that he would not act until he has obtained all permits necessary for the docking facility and the expanded marina.

"Apparently, he is not concerned about Zoning Board of Appeal approval or approvals from the (state) Department of the Environment in the Chapter 91 process. Also, the appeal period for the Conservation Commission/DEP decisions has not expired," Mr. Vacovec said.

He added: "We can imagine that he is very frustrated at the loud, negative testimony regarding the boat at every public hearing we have attended. Aside from his hired lawyers and consultants, no one has ever spoken a positive word about the boat in any hearing."

"I firmly believe in supporting the smaller man compared to corporations," Mr. Moseley said, adding that he felt the boat would be a pleasant addition to the lake.

At about 9 p.m. Monday, workers began moving the boat for the final leg of the trek to Webster Lake, via Interstate 395 and Route 16. It was expected to take four hours for the approximately 17 miles.

Mr. Robert said Indian Ranch will launch the boat, which has a top speed on water of 6 miles per hour, on the lake this year, but he didn't know when.

He said it would take about two weeks to reassemble the boat; the second deck and paddle wheels had arrived at the lake separately.

Mr. Robert, a lakeshore resident, said: "I expect to leave it on Webster Lake forever. It is not a temporary decision."

"This is really going to become part of the Indian Ranch enterprise, the whole process," he said.

"For example, we'd treat this as a destination wedding point, if you wanted to do a wedding."

He repeated his pledge to take schoolchildren on tours.

Asked if he endeavored to repair the relationship with some of his neighbors, Mr. Robert said his venture would have considered a negotiation for concessions, but the neighbors refused to talk.

"I'm not a fan of having hostilities," he said. "In that sense I have very few (foes) other than these people, but they're so rabid about this whole process. I don't think they'd want to talk to me. I'd be happy to sit down and talk and try to make things better."

Mr. Robert noted that instead of talking to him about the common goal of treating weeds on the lake, the lake neighbors instead sent him an invoice for nearly $3,000, without explanation.

Webster Town Administrator John F. McAuliffe said he expects a busy day Tuesday.

In the restaurant parking lot, Mr. Robert asked Vito Lomuscio, a Danielson, Conn., businessman who trucked the boat, how the 50-mile move from Barrington went earlier.

Mr. Lomuscio said it was "like a silk glove," and the toughest part was getting out of a marina with a payloader.

"It couldn't have gone better, as of yet," Mr. Lomuscio said.

The boat will take up two lanes of roadway.

Mr. Lomuscio said he had never moved a big boat before, nor anything of its dimensions, although he had moved heavier objects such as excavators, rock crushers and houses.

"Hopefully everything goes off without a hitch," he said of the overnight last leg.

The Webster Zoning Board of Appeals was to meet Monday on the proposal, but Webster Ventures agreed to give the board an extension until Oct. 1 to have both hearings conducted.

The Planning Board recently voted not to approve the plan, which includes expansion of two docks and adding 40 boat slips. Indian Ranch already has 26 boat slips.

Contact Brian Lee at brian.lee@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BleeTG

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